Barr. (Mrs.) Josephine Ada Kachikwu,
INTRODUCTION
The Delta State House of Assembly Service Commission was established by law in April 2004. This law was accented to by the then Governor, Chief James Onanefe Ibori. It provides for a seven member Commission, one of whom shall be Chairman. The Law also provides for a Secretary, who is the Accounting Officer of the Commission.
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Some management staff of the Delta State House of Assembly Service Commission in a group photograph with the Director, Legislative Support Service, Prof. Okechukwu Oko at the National Institute for Legislative Studies, Abuja during a Senior Management Course.
The Service Commission is charged with the responsibility of Recruitment, Promotion, Training, and Disciple of staff, among others. The Commission is made up of three Departments namely: Promotion, Recruitment &Training (DPRT), Administration & Finance (DAF), and Planning, Research & Statistics (DPRS).
INAUGRUATION OF THE PRESENT COMMISSION
At the end of the tenure of the first Commission in 2011, a new Commission was inaugurated by His Excellency, the Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, with Hon. (Barr.) Mrs. Josephine Ada Kachikwu, as Chairman while the six members are: Hon. Sam Ogrih, Hon. John Idogun, Hon. (Pst.) Mrs. Cordilia Onya, Hon. (Chief) Roland Kemefia, Hon. (Barr.) Benedict Etanabene, and Hon. (Prince) Mike Oputa.
FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMISSION
The primary functions of Delta State House of Assembly Service Commission are as follows: Recruitment, Promotion, Training and Discipline.
1 Recruitment:
a. To find and attract suitably qualified candidates for employment into the services of the Commission.
b. To develop interview techniques for the selection of the best candidates and issue employment letters to successful candidates in accordance with Public Service Rules.
2. Promotion:
To elevate suitably qualified employees from their present positions to positions of higher authority as and when due in consonance with Public Service Rules.
3. Training:
a. To identify training needs of the Commission, design suitable training programmes and conduct the training of personnel.
b. To retrain staff members to keep them abreast with new technological changes and managerial trends.
4. Discipline:
To ensure that employees who violate the Commission’s rules and regulations or fall short of the Commission’s expectations are sanctioned in accordance with the Public Service Rules.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Promotion
The Commission in her drive to provide an efficient and effective service delivery in the legislature carried out a faithful implementation of her policy of motivation of employees. Promotion, being one of the key elements, of motivation was carried out as and when due. In 2012, about 200 staff members who were eligible for promotion were duly promoted. It is very important to state that the Commission has set a standard whereby every eligible staff for promotion is subjected to a refresher course and subsequent examination before being promoted; staffs are always promoted based on merit. The 2013 promotion exercise for about 135 eligible staff has just been concluded.
Training– The Commission in order to motivate workers to higher productivity has organized training programmes in the nation’s best management, administrative, legislative institutions. They are: The Centre for Management Development (CMD), Lagos; Administrative Staff College of Nigerian (ASCON), Badagry; National Institute for Legislative Studies (NILS), Abuja; Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Abuja; Industrial Training Fund (ITF); Benin City and Warri and a few technical consultants. The Commission broke an all time record in 2012 when she successfully trained all the staff in the Commission and the Assembly in the above institutions in one fell swoop.
We wish to register our appreciation to the Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, for his magnanimity in approving the funds for the training.
In 2013 training was based on seniority due to financial constrains and the training is still in progress.
The investment on training has paid off handsomely as we can now boast of a work-force that can deliver on our core mandate of providing personnel that will assist the legislators to make good laws for the good people of Delta State.
It is a thing of joy to say that the number of staff that can put in extra effort willingly and enthusiastically in the Commission are on the increase.
Discipline- To maintain our flagship position as the best House of Assembly Commission in Nigeria we blazed the trail by introducing a scientific method of checking lateness to work and absenteeism. It is called the Clock –In- Clock Out -Machine. It captures the biometric information of each employee as he clocks – in – and clocks-out daily. It also gives graphically the number of days and hours of attendance of each worker. It is fraud proof as nobody can clock- in or out for another person- not even a twin brother or sister. This is because it is biometric. The machine has been programmed to check employees who cut corners by clocking- in and go home. It will mark them absent for the day for failing to clock-out at the end of the business day. This has tremendously helped the Commission to improve on the level of discipline.
Certificate Forgery
Based on in-fighting by some employees over seniority resulting in protests that some of their colleagues were presenting fake certificates so that they would be upgraded far and above their equals, the Commission engaged the services of a firm of external auditors to carry out certificate verification. The firm has submitted its report and every case was subjected to further re-verification to remove any possible human error. So far 26 employees have been dismissed from the services of the Commission for parading fake certificates; two are on interdiction while pending cases are about 20. This goes down in History as the most againisting decision taken by the Commission.
The dismissed staff and their categories are as follows:
1. Management cadre 2
2. Middle Management cadre 10
3. Technical cadre 5
4. Senior Staff under Admin. 6
5. Junior Staff under Admin. 3
6. Interdiction 2
7. Pending cases 20.
WELFARE:
1. Official Cars, Staff Buses and Utility Vehicle
In order to improve working conditions and inculcate goal – oriented behaviours on the staff, the Commission has, through the magnanimity of His Excellency, the Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, procured five brand new air-conditioned Toyota Corolla Saloon Cars for the Secretary of the Commission, three Directors and the Accountant, a 35 seater air-conditioned Costa Bus for staff and a High Lux double- cabin Toyota Van for utility. To further provide improved working condition the Commission operates a vehicle, bicycle and Housing Loans Scheme to motivate the workers. The scheme come into operation in 2010 and 46 staffers have so far benefited from vehicle and bicycle loan, while 4 workers have been given Housing Loan as at 31st December, 2013 .
2. OUTFIT ALLOWANCE
As an incentive package the Commission pays a handsome out-fit allowance to all staff annually to enable them maintain the cooperate and dignifying looks of parliamentary staff. This Commission has ensured that there is continuity in governance and have annually paid this allowance.
3. CHRISTMAS BONUS
The Commission has its own way of thanking the staffers for job well-done at the end of the year. This we believe will give the workers inner self-satisfaction and satisfy their psychological well-being. We give this peck annually by giving them annual Christmas bonus.
LABOUR RELATIONS
The Commission has provided a labour -friendly climate for the flourishing of a robust workers’ union. The Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN). It has in addition to training program to sharpen the skill of the employees on the very job they do organized training for the labour leaders. This was in an attempt to make them to be more conscious of themselves and their duties. The Commission has enjoyed industrial harmony in spite of the downsizing of the departments in the Complex from 16 to 8 in consonce with the amended law, the dismissal of certificate forgers and the introduction of the clock-in-clock-out machine.
The Commission is still managing the change resulting from the clock-in-clock-out machine
Barr. (Mrs.) Josephine Ada Kachikwu,
Chairman.
